Snow White and the Huntsman

Warning: spoiler alert, but not a massive one so you should still read it :-D

Kristen Stewart does a top job

Snow White and the Huntsman is surprisingly good and a little bit epic. If Charlize Theron being so frightening that a little bit of wee comes out is your idea of a worthy film, then Snow White and the Huntsman is for you. I exagerrate, but at times Theron really is terrifying. I think a way in which a beautiful actress (such as Theron) can prove that she is more than just a pretty face is actually to make their character incredibly ugly through their portrayal. Because she is so beautiful it is difficult to imagine any character that Theron plays being grotesque but she plays her character Queen Ravenna very dynamically.
Snow White and the Huntsman, although based on the original German Brother's Grimm fairytale, is actually far from the traditional fairytale archetype. Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is strong and independent, rather than the Disney Snow White who used birds to assist in her pie making. She battles with a sword and, honestly the film isn't glamorous.

Snow White is born a princess with a loving mother and father, who rule the kingdom well and are respected throughout it. Snow White is still a child when her mother dies. Distraught, her father King Magnus (Noah Huntley) is lured into battle against an eerie glass army. Upon defeating the army he comes accross Ravenna (Theron), weds her immediately and is unceremoniously murdered by her on their weddding night (not what most expect). Now Queen Ravenna, obsessed with her magical mirror and using dark magic to remain youthful and beautiful, she locks away Snow White and continues to destroy the kingdom. Years later, Ravenna learns off her twisted mirror that Snow White has come of age and is 'the fairest of them all', instructing Ravenna that Snow White is the key to her eternal preservation and her eternal destruction. To live as a beautiful immortal, all she has to do is casually eat Snow's heart. Snow White takes this new opportunity to escape and is hunted throughout the kingdom, making allies along the way. The film culminates in a battle for the kingdom, typical black vs white. 

Charlize Theron screamed so fiercely that she tore a stomach muscle in one of the scenes. True.

I was particularly sceptical before watching the film after considering Kristen Stewart's most famous role in the Twilight Saga, where she plays a (let's be honest), pathetic teenager desperate for her supernatural loves. Her rather convincing Olde English accent and brand new set of facial expressions did wonders for her creating a new character, breaking away from Bella Swan. There was, however, one moment in the film where Snow White is battling with death and I could only think of the scene in Twilight after Bella Swan has been bitten. This is because of Kristen Stewart's face, she looks exactly the same! Upon a second thought, I felt bad about thinking this- after all, how many different looks can an actress have when dying? Overall, good job Kristen Stewart.

Not your typical Prince Charming, not bad though

One obvious way in which the film broke away from the traditional fairytale is Snow White's romantic interests (Romance spoiler alert). William AKA Prince Charming (Sam Claflin), although fighting to get the girl, doesn't get the girl and doesn't bring her to life with 'love's true kiss'. He is the perfect candidate and the typical, pure, honourable, strong prince charming. However, there is another contender in this rendition of Snow White, the kind of contender who is a widow, still loves his deceased wife, is a drunk, a rogue, actually sets off trying to capture Snow White and, basically, needs a wash. Of course, this is the Huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth. It is his kiss which brings Snow White back from the death, and he is far from the traditional prince charming portrait of sobriety and virginity.
Overall a great film, this new style of dark fairytales seems to be a trend, with Jack and the Beanstalk coming to cinemas next starring Skins star Nicholas Hoult. I, for one, am quite a fan of creating an alternative option to the classic Disney interpretations of fairytales. I don't know if this is for any intelligent reason other than I want to enjoy fairytales again but am really too old for Disney.